Villiage campaigners will make a start on their play park in the next month or two.

Sherburn Oak (Outdoor Action for Kids) was set up 18 months ago to develop plans for a complex at Sherburn, County Durham, that can be used by youngsters from toddlers to teenagers.

OAK, which has attained charitable status, hopes to raise £100,000 to carry out its plans on land next to the village's Durham City Council-run leisure centre.

The land, which OAK is seeking to lease from the city council, has been fenced off and a CCTV system to monitor the site has already been installed.

Group members, who have parish council backing, hope that play equipment for younger children can be installed in the next six to eight weeks.

The group says research has shown that youngsters feel there are few facilities for them in the village and that there is nothing for them to do.

On Saturday, it held a fun day at which four designs for the play park were on show and survey forms available for people to fill in.

The group, which aims to make bids to funders such as the National Lottery, is urging villagers to support the project.

OAK chairman Stuart Walton, a Liberal Democrat city councillor, said: "There were just short of 60 questionnaires filled in on Saturday. I was quite pleased with the response. We are going to try to get the display put up in the leisure centre.

"We are aiming to put a couple of small bits of play equipment on the site for younger children to show people that things are happening.''

He said the group's ultimate plans included facilities for teenagers.

"I think they are the most vulnerable group. They need to be entertained, they need something to do," he said.